Many gardeners are familiar with different methods of growing seedlings, including very economical and unusual. But you always want to experiment and try something new. Today we will discuss the cultivation of tomato seedlings in toilet paper, and neither land nor a special substrate is needed.
What is the essence of the method
This technology has appeared relatively recently, but has already gained considerable popularity among summer residents. The main secret of the success of the method is its low cost. So, you will need to land.
- A large glass of plastic (as an option - a cut plastic bottle);
- Several plastic bags (they can be replaced with scraps of old polyethylene);
- Toilet paper (1 roll).
At the first stage of growing seedlings tomato soil is not needed. The need for land will appear during the swoop down (with the development of cotyledon leaves).
Attention! Oddly enough, but the seeds are enough of those nutrients that are contained in the paper.
How it's done
We begin to get used to the new method of germinating seeds on seedlings. The algorithm of action is as follows.
- Cut strips of 100 mm wide into film. Strips need so much that all the seeds could be placed in 1 row.
- Spread the resulting polyethylene strips, pass a paper layer on each of them. If the thickness of the paper is small, it is better to place it in two layers. Dampen it with water.
- Place seeds on toilet paper, starting from a point at a distance of 10 mm from the edge. Arrange the seeds so that the interval between them is 20-30 mm.
- Cover the seeds with a strip of toilet paper, sprinkle it with water. Above - again a plastic strip. Now it only remains to roll the resulting tape roll.
- Fix the roll with a pharmaceutical gum, place it in a cup so that the seeds are at the top. Fill a glass with water so that it does not reach the grains. Now our future seedlings are in almost perfect conditions. It will receive oxygen from the air, and toilet paper will absorb and deliver water to them.
- Place the prepared seeds in a well-lit area. The first shoots can be expected in about 7 days.
Care features
Care for seeds prepared with no land with this original planting method is minimal. Fertilizer is needed when shoots sprout. For this reason, the soil mixture is not needed. A weak humic acid solution is suitable as a top dressing. The next feeding will be needed with the appearance of the first true leaflet. With the formation of two or three of these leaves you can do a pick.
Carefully, in order not to damage the roots, unfold the roll and remove the plastic wrap. Plant young seedlings in pots, carefully separating them from the paper and rejecting weak plants. The seedling is clean, not stained in the ground, so replanting it is not difficult. Further cultivation of tomato seedlings is the same as with all other methods.
Important! If the sprout turned out not too developed, it can again be placed in the "incubator" of toilet paper to grow.
Practice shows that the percentage of weak shoots is much smaller than with other methods. Sprouts less injured and quickly take root. The peculiarity of the seedlings grown in this way is that it has short internodes, which favorably affects the yield of tomatoes. For picking fit universal soil mix, which is sold in specialized stores.
This method can be used in the cultivation of other crops: pepper, eggplant, cabbage. It is especially preferred for large-seeded vegetables, with an adequate supply of nutrients.
Longitudinal cultivation
For the method of growing seedlings in the bottle will need the same devices as for the "roll". Here are just a plastic bottle is not cut horizontally, and cut along. Line the bottom of the obtained halves with toilet paper, moisten it with water, place the grains on the paper “mattress”. Cover the seeds with plastic and expose the plastic "boats" in a well-lit place. It remains only to wait for the emergence of shoots.
What are the advantages of the method
As already mentioned, the seedlings grown on toilet paper, well acclimatized, resistant to disease (in particular, black leg). It is possible to use the method for seedlings of hybrid tomatoes, the cost of which is far from low. Almost all the shoots while surviving at the time of the pick. Here are some more benefits.
- The possibility of growing seedlings from expired seeds.
- Ease of care, fast growth.
- A minimum of the place occupied by seedlings. No need for huge drawers on the windowsill.
disadvantages
- If the plant is too light and heat-loving, it can grow somewhat slowly.
- Extrusion of stems with insufficient growth of rhizomes.
Of course, there are drawbacks, but all the advantages of the method are appreciated even by novice gardeners who are interested in how to grow seedlings with minimal losses. Seedlings are healthy, with good survival. Subsequently, they are well tolerated landing in the ground.
